DPS Board: Protect the Dream for All Kids

Feb. 15, 2018

Denver Board of Education members unanimously approved a resolution Thursday (Feb. 15, 2018) urging Congress to take prompt bipartisan action to save DACA and protect the DREAMers, providing them with the lasting solution they deserve and an end to the uncertainty they face.

“The Board stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the DREAMers and their families, as well as all undocumented students,” said school board member Lisa Flores, “and we join their call for respect and appreciation for the contributions they make to our community.”

With the program providing protections to young immigrants in limbo and facing a March 5 expiration date, two STRIVE Prep teachers discussed the anxiety their students and families are feeling. Board member Angela Cobian talked about five DPS educators facing possible deportation if the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program expires, saying that they wished to be public about who they are and the risks they are now facing.

The resolution also recognizes the importance of schools providing forums for student expression on the issue, teachers having materials to guide discussions and district leaders continuing to provide supports for families impacted by DACA and other immigration concerns.

Flores read the resolution aloud in English while Cobian and board member Carrie Olson took turns reading the resolution aloud in Spanish.

President Obama adopted DACA in 2012, giving protections to young immigrants who were illegally brought into the country as children. An estimated 17,000 of these children, known as DREAMers, live, work and attend school in Colorado. DPS was the first school district in the nation to hire DACA recipients as teachers.

But their presence is threatened by President Trump’s decision to rescind DACA, now set to expire in little more than two weeks’ time. Congressional efforts to maintain the program or to find a pathway to citizenship for DREAMers have so far been unsuccessful.

The board resolution, titled Resolution to Protect the Dream for All Kids, implores Congress, including Colorado representatives, to take swift action. Read the full resolution in English and Spanish below:

Resolution to Protect the Dream for All Kids

WHEREAS, in 2012 President Obama adopted the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals
program (DACA), which gave certain undocumented immigrants who were brought to the
United States as children – commonly referred to as “DREAMers” – relief from deportation and
the ability to live, work, and obtain higher education in the United States; and

WHEREAS, DACA has shielded nearly 800,000 young undocumented immigrants from
deportation, approximately 17,000 of whom live, work, and attend school in Colorado; and

WHEREAS, many DREAMers have attended DPS schools their entire lives or are DPS graduates
who have built their lives in our community; and

WHEREAS, Denver was the first school district in the country to hire DACA recipients as
teachers, many of whom are bilingual and can relate well to the challenges our students face;
and

WHEREAS, our country was built by dreamers from around the globe; our country’s open arms
have made us richer, stronger, and kinder; and our DACA students and families have
extraordinary talents and potential to contribute to our community; and

WHEREAS, on September 5, 2017, President Trump ordered an end to DACA, putting hundreds
of thousands of young immigrants at risk of losing their work permits and facing deportation if
Congress fails to take action to protect them before March 5, 2018; and

WHEREAS, in February 2017, the DPS Board of Education (Board) unanimously passed the Safe
and Welcoming School District Resolution, affirming the District’s commitment to provide safe
and welcoming spaces where all students are able to focus on their education, secure in the
knowledge that the District will support their safety and emotional well-being regardless of
immigration status, national origin, race, or religion; and

WHEREAS, the rescission of DACA will be deeply harmful to our schools and community,
depriving countless students, families, and educators of their peace of mind, creating
widespread fear and uncertainty, and causing significant disruption to the learning environment
for all students; and

WHEREAS, the Board stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the DREAMers and their families, as
well as all undocumented students, and we join their call for respect and appreciation for the
contributions they make to our community.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Board implores members of Congress, including
our own Colorado representatives, to take prompt bipartisan action to save DACA and protect
the DREAMers, providing them with the lasting solution they deserve and an end to the
uncertainty they face; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Board recognizes the importance of educators discussing
and engaging with students on this issue of critical importance in their schools and providing
other opportunities for student expression, such as:

Hosting student assemblies, forums, or listening circles;

Dedicating time for students to engage in persuasive letter writing in order to share
their personal views on this issue with their congressional representatives; and/or

Delivering lessons designed to explain DACA and/or student and immigrant rights; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Board recognizes the importance of educators having
access to relevant curricular materials and guidance to enable educators to facilitate such
conversations with students; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Board directs the District to continue providing resources to
support students and families who may be affected by the rescission of DACA and counseling
and crisis supports for students and families impacted by immigration concerns; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Superintendent shall distribute copies of this Resolution,
translated into all appropriate languages, to all school sites, and distribute copies to both
Colorado senators and the District’s congressional representative.